The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.
The use of Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) appliances, also known as “electronic whiteboards,” has become more widespread and they have grown in popularity. IWB appliances include a large touch screen display that make them ideal for viewing and collaborating on content and collaboration. They have become increasingly popular in education institutions, medical facilities, business enterprises, other organizations, conferences, etc. IWB appliances are often used as stand-alone devices, for example, to view and collaborate on content in a meeting setting. When configured with videoconferencing and/or desktop sharing software and network connectivity, they allow users to participate in electronic meetings from widely disparate physical locations, even in different countries.
Despite their many benefits, IWB appliances have some shortcomings when used for electronic meetings with participants in different locations. First, as with conventional videoconferencing systems, all the participants have to communicate using a common language, which makes them less useful in situations where all the participants do not speak a common language. In addition, IWB appliances do now allow users to participate in electronic meetings using their own mobile device, such as a Smartphone, tablet computing device, etc., and are generally limited to using the native capabilities and user interfaces provided by IWB appliances. Thus, it would be desirable for users to participate in electronic meetings using IWB appliances and a mobile device.